council tax

[dilligaf]

Have just heard a 73 year old put in prison for not baying �53? backlog of Council Tax. Thank god. Another hardened criminal behind bars.
What a laughing stock this country must appear to the rest of the world.

[dilligaf]

Sorry about any errors on the last posting. I am absolutly fuming about this. What do do think.

[steveb]

i completely agree its one of the most ridiculous things ive heard for a long time

[MargeB]

Alternative?

[Famous5]

Has anyone in whichever council office it is worked out the cost of taking this case to court? I'll bet it's a lot more than the �53 arrears, not even thinking about the cost to the country whilst this person is in prison.

I expect the cost of recovery of arrears will be given when next year's council tax is increased

[Oneeyedvic]

Firslty I would also put the full story that she got 7 days.

She has gone to prison on a point of principle - just as a retired vicar did a few weeks ago in East Anglia for the same reason.

 

Point is though - if she was let off, what kind of message would that send?

[vehelpfulguy]

Rather ironic that this is in the news on the same day

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have agreed to cancel up to $55bn (�31bn) in debts owed to them by some of the world's poorest countries.

[hopalong]

If that was a 20 year old who was sent to prison for non payment would you still be fumimg?  why is it different for  a pensioner?   I am fed up with these oldies thinking they should get every on the cheap

[kazza12345]

why should she get away with it huh??

she wanted to be put in prison to prove her point.  If she truley couldn't afford to pay it then she would get a council tax rebate, so i am assuming she is just picking to obey the laws that suit her.  Put her in prison for longer i say .....

[louadams6]

I think the ironic thing about this is whatever point she is choosing to make, it is costing the taxpayer a lot more to keep her behind bars for a week!!!

[THECORBYLOON]

To those who think it is wrong to prosecute for withholding monies due, what would you do if you were short-changed the same amount by an employer for example?

If every Council Tax payer in your village, town or city did the same, how would you react when the rubbish mounts up because the scaffie cart doesn't come round so often, or yir child's school has to close due to a lack of teachers?

One person defaulting may not have that much of an impact and the funds spent on the court case and the care in prison may appear disproportionate but it will stop hundreds doing the same and that is what matters.

[gavinbecky]

Being sent to prison does seem a little harsh regardless of her age. And that should not matter.

What if they had been a 27 year old single man though with a part time job or perish the thought, a traveller or foreign national? You can guess the headlines then.

It was interesting to see all the supporters there with plackards. If I were her I would be asking those people why they chose to pay the council tax.

The fact this, this lady chose to pay what she considered was 'fair' (ie inflation rate). If we all decided what we should pay then the country really would be in a mess.

My heart does goe out to her at this time. Let's hope she sells her story and gets a decent payoff.

[Ding-Dong]

Yes but isn't it reasonable to expect council tax to increase by the rate of inflation - or even one or two points above the rate of inflation??? The increases are untenable, particularly for pensioners where their pension has increased by just 38% in the last ten years whereas the average increase in CT over the same period is 101% (always assuming the stats provided by ITN are correct of course).

Perhaps CT for pensioners should be means tested, as opposed to just an aribtrary assumption of wealth based on their houses???

[january_bug]

Yes, our country must look a total joke.  What with the free hospitals and schools, the stable economy, the long life-expectation, the protected human rights, and the strong democratic republic, I bet the people of North Korea, Zimbabwe and Niger are just p1ss1ng themselves. 

I wholeheartedly agree with comments along the line of "well why shouldn't she have to pay?".  Ditto about comments re people getting angry if the woman was a 22 year old. 

[january_bug]

My god what a typo!!!

For democratic republic... please read democratic process.  I have no idea what happened there.  Sorry!

[Ding-Dong]

I guess its a matter of perception JB - where you see free hospitals and schools, I see dirty hospitals with long waiting lists and just about passable care, and schools I see falling standards, exams that are so worthless that they are going for a 100% pass rate and an utter lack of discipline.

Which is why I pay privately for both.

I see human rights legislation which is merely a mandate for the lazy and ******** to claim a breach of generally for very spurious reasons.

etc....

I guess it just depends on which side of the fence you happen to be on!

[Ding-Dong]

That asterisked out word is * * * * less. What the hell is wrong with that???????

[Ding-Dong]

f'christ's sake - I'll try again - that word is F    E    C    Kless.

Sort it out ABed - that is not a swearword.

[january_bug]

Spineless?  As in s.p.1.n.e.l.e.s.s?  Maybe offensive to people with back problems!?! :-p

Well it also depends how negative your outlook on life is, and how rich you are.  I went to an absolutely excellent school with state of the art facilities, out standing pass rates, and genuinely very good teaching.  It was a state school. 

My grandparents have had endless operations on the NHS, including a triple heart bypass for a smoker (frankly I smoke and if the government told me I'd brought it upon myself and I had to pay, I'd say 'fair enough').  The hospitals they have stayed in have been clean, and the waiting lists short. 

I have always had good access to healthcare myself, although I have rarely needed it.  My friend just had a baby by emergency caesarean and received first class healthcare. 

I'm not saying that makes the system perfect, but your expereiences don't actually mean that we live in the third world.  Furthermore, at least you had the option to pay for private healthcare.  Many of the people in the countries I mentioned don't even have that choice, and could never afford it even if they had it. 

PS -  As you know, a private education doesn't make a child's GCSEs and A Levels worth any more.  A sensible choice of university and UG course is where the difference lies these days.  Unless they're going into such an elitist profession that who you know is more important. 

[Jude123]

I feel I have to stand up for the older person, as I am one. I am a pensioner, but I still work part-time. I pay all my bills including my council tax and never say I'm not paying on principle as the 73 year old has done. I have had nothing but good care in the N.H. system. But I agree yet again with january_bug why should she get away with it!

Thanks for the advice January_bug. I've got a feeling that you are much younger than me!

[january_bug]

Well, I'm glad you're typing here! :-)

I'm 22, sometimes going on 12, sometimes going on 32, sometimes going on 92.  I'm the sort of student that watches Grumpy Old Men and keeps shouting at the telling "Yes! I agree with you totally grumpy old Jeremy Clarkson/Rick Stein/other old me".